JIFUNZE JINSI YA KUANDIKA CV

How to write a resume

A resume - sometimes called a 'Curriculum Vitae' or 'CV' - is a summary of your skills, education and work experience. A good resume demonstrates how your skills and abilities match up with the requirements of a job.

How long should a resume be?

Resumes give you the opportunity to sell yourself to a potential employer. A resume is not an exhaustive list - if it's too long it probably won't get read at all. The best resumes are usually no longer than one or two pages.

Do I need to change my resume every time?

You should change your resume with every job application so that it lists the skills and experiences you have that are most relevant to the job you're applying for. A tailored resume will be much more successful than a generic one, even though it means more preparation.

What if I don't have much experience?

While things like your academic record and work experience are typical ways to show how suited you are to a particular job, these are not the only things you should include. There are other ways to demonstrate that you are the right person for the job, including your:

• Personal traits - you're an honest worker, you enjoy being part of a big team 
• Strengths - things you're good at or enjoy 
• Experiences - volunteering or extracurricular activities 
• Key responsibilities and achievements - any awards or recognition that you've received

How do I organise my resume's information?

The structure of your resume will vary depending on your work experience and education and training background.
A resume usually sets out information in a reverse order. Your most recent work experience and study details should be first on the list.

What do I include on my resume?

Here's a brief rundown on the essential things to include on your resume.

Personal details

Full name and contact details including address, telephone number(s) and email address.

Education and training

A summary of your education and training history, starting with your most recent studies, making sure you include all training that's relevant to the job you're applying for.

Employment history

Start with your most recent work history and work backwards chronologically, listing the name of the employer, your job title, the dates you worked there, and your responsibilities, tasks and achievements. Make sure you include everything that's relevant to the job.

Skills and abilities

A list of the things you're good at. These can be general skills or skills specific to a particular job. List them under broad headings such as "Communication" and "Teamwork".

Career objective (optional)

Tell the employer what type of job you want end up with; this shows that you've given thought to your future career.

Interests (optional)

A list of your hobbies and interests; this gives employers more information about you and also shows other areas of your life where you've gained experiences such as teamwork and commitment.

Referees

List people who can talk about how good a worker you are. Make sure you get their permission before including them on your resume. List their name, company name occupation, and contact details. For more information, look at our Who can be my referee page.

Resume checklist

After you've written your resume, and before sending it, go through this checklist:

• Proofreading - Make sure there aren't any spelling mistakes, typos or grammatical errors.
• Tailoring - Make sure everything you mention shows how well-suited you are for the job you're applying for. 
• Presentation - Make sure the resume is well laid out, easy to read and printed on clean, white paper in a standard font (like Times New Roman, Arial or Verdana) and at a standard size (10 or 12 point). 
• Detail - Make sure you've provided specific examples of your achievements and how you've used the skills you have.

Sample Resumes and Cover Letters

Writing a resume - also called a "CV" or "curriculum vitae" - can be tricky. So can writing a cover letter. Well, fret not because we have a bunch of cover letter examples and resume examples that you can use as a starting point to get you on the way to writing a succesful job application.
Everyone has different levels of experience, and you need to tailor your CV and your cover letter to demonstrate your personal level of work and study experience.
Whether you've finished school early or you've gone all the way to the end of university, one of these sample resume and cover letter templates will be suited to your needs so that you can get your job applications started.
Each of these sample CVs and cover letters provides tips and ideas and examples to help get you started. You can either download the template from the list below, or check each of them out on their own individual pages in this section (they're over there in the left-hand menu).
Once you've downloaded them you just need to follow the tips and advice to use it to create your own personalised resume or cover letter.

Sample Resumes

Choose a sample resume that best suits your current situation:
Left school early - no formal work experience
(download as a pdf - download as a Word file)
Use this template as a starting point if you've left school early (before completing Year 12) but have little, or no, formal work experience.
Left school early - some work experience
(download as a pdf - download as a Word file)
Use this template as a starting point if you've left school early (before completing Year 12) and you also have some formal work experience (e.g. full-time, part-time or casual work).
Finished school - no formal work experience
(download as a pdf - download as a Word file)
Use this template as a starting point if you've completed Year 12 (or equivalent) but have little, or no, formal work experience.
Finished school - some work experience
(download as a pdf - download as a Word file)
Use this template as a starting point if you've completed Year 12 (or equivalent) and you also have some formal work experience.
Tertiary qualified - no work experience
(download as a pdf - download as a Word file)
Use this template if you have a tertiary (or equivalent) qualification (or are in the process of getting one) but you have little, or no, formal work experience.
Tertiary qualified - some work experience
(download as a pdf - download as a Word file)
Use this template if you have a tertiary (or equivalent) qualification (or are in the process of getting one) and you also have some formal work experience (e.g. full-time, part-time or casual work).

Sample Cover Letters

Choose a sample letter that best suits your current situation:
Applying for specific position if you have relevant work experience
(download as a pdf - download as a Word file)
Use this template as a starting point if you want to develop a cover letter responding to a specific job advertisement.
Applying for specific position if you have no work experience
(download as a pdf - download as a Word file)
This is an alternative template to use if you are responding to a specific job but have little (or no) formal work experience.
Cold calling letter of introduction
(download as a pdf - download as a Word file)
Cold calling (contacting employers when there is no specific job advertised) is an excellent job search strategy. Use this template as a starting point for putting together a letter to use when cold calling a potential employer.